Type-writer.



G. W. RAMSEY.

TYPE WRITER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1909.

Patented May 27, 1913.

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1,062,735. Patented May 27, 1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. RAMSEY, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 UNDERWOOD TYPEWRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TYPE-WRITER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 27,1913.

Application filed. June 24, 1909. Serial No. 504,028.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE W. RAMSEY, residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-Writers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to the typewriting art and specifically to a mechanism for preventing excessive vibration of the ribbon vibrator during a continuous operation of printing, and for permitting the said ribbon to assume a position for exposing the printing when the operator ceases to print.

The mechanism herein specifically illustrated is shown adapting the invention to several difierent types of ribbon vibrators, such as are in use on difierent styles of visible writing typewriters. In all visible writing typewriting machines the ribbon vibrator is located in such a position as to cover and uncover the printing point during the operation of the printing, and acts somewhat after the manner of a shutter which intermittently exposes a varying amount of the white paper surface upon which the writing is being performed. This continually throws a changing light into the eyes of the operator and is very tiresome upon the eyes.

A further object in this invention is to provide a means whereby a great amount of the energy required to continually vibrate the ribbon vibrator is conserved, and therefore the key touch will consequently be much lighter.

This invention is susceptible to structural changes without departing from the scope thereof, but a preferred form will be hereinafter specifically described by reference to the drawing which forms a part of this specification and the scope of the invention will be indicated by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like parts throughout the several figures :Figure 1 is a partial longitudinal section taken through a carriage and illustrating the vibrator mechanism. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the vibrator controller, showing the piston near the upper end of its stroke. Fig. 3 is a detail of the controller vent. Fig. 4 shows the retarder as adapted to a vertically moving vibrator. Fig. 5 is a front view of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 shows the retarder adapted to a pivoted ribbon vibrator.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, 1 is a carriage frame adapted to be reciprocated upon the shift rail 3, on which run the rollers 2 which are attached to the carriage frame. The escapement lever 5 is mounted on the rigid frame 4 which is attached to the carriage shifting frame. To the outer end of the escapement 5, the connecting link 6 is pivotally attached and extends upwardly to the ribbon vibrator bell-crank 8. The upper end of the link 6 is slotted, as at 7, to permit an oscillation of the link 6 without moving the bellcrank lever 8 when the ribbon vibrator is in its extended position over the platen. The bell-crank 8 is rigidly attached to the link 10 and thus actuates the ribbon vibrator 13 in a horizontal direction. The vibrator 13 is-maintained in a horizontal plane by means of the guide link 11. The spring 12 tends to keep the vibrator 13 in its normal position in which the line of writing is exposed to view. The link 11 is formed in the shape of a bell-crank to which is attached the rod 14. The cylinder 15 is pivotally mounted by the lugs 17 which extend downwardly from each side thereof, and which are attached to a forked bracket 18 rigidly secured to the standard 4. The cylinder is formed with two bores 22 and 24. The bore 24 is of a larger diameter than 22 and is connected therewith by the beveled portion 23. A plunger 21 is carried by the rod 14 and is of a sufficient size to just freely slide into the bore 22. The upper portion of the cylinder above the bore 22 is closed except for a series of holes 20. The weight 19 is adapted to form a valve for closing the said holes 20. In the upper portion of the cylinder is a vent valve 16 formed with a wedged shaped opening in the side thereof to provide a regulating means to admit air more or less rapidly in the chamber 22 above the piston 21.

Referringmore particularly to Fig. 4 the ribbon vibrator 13 is shown as being operated in a vertical direction. The connecting rod 6 of the retarding device 15 is attached or connected to the lower middle portion of the ribbon vibrator 18 The actuating lever 5 is adapted to raise the rod 6 and connected parts. The lower end of this rod 6 merely rests upon the actuating lever 5 The latter may have a motion independent of the retarding mechanism. Thus itwill be seen that when the ribbon vibrator has been moved upwardly to cover the printing point it will remain in this position until sutlicient air has leaked into the vacuum chamber to allow the rod (3 and its attached plunger to drop into inoperative position.

In Fig. (3 the retarder 15 is shown as being in operative connection with a pivotally swinging vibrator 13 The connecting rod 6 in this form is shown as being attached by means of a slot connection 7 with the rocking arm 5 In this form of vibrator, the vibrator having once been thrown to the printing point it will be retained there until suflicient air has been admitted into the vacuum chamber to permit the vibrator to drop away from the printing point.

In Figs. 4-, 5 and (S the typewriter mechanism therein shown is so well known in the art thatit has been om'tted from the description because of the fact it is thought a full explanation would be more confusing than elucidating, and these figures have been added to the specification in order merely to indicate the adaptation of the invention to different types of visible writing machines using distinct types of ribbon vibrators.

The operation of the device will be discussed entirely upon Figs. 1 and 2 and is as follows :IVhen a key lever is depressed to print, the escapement lever is rocked upwardly and it carries therewith the link 6, which cooperating with the crank 8, throws the vibrator 13 over the printing point. In so doing the bell-crank lever 11 is turned upon its axis and the rod let is lifted, thereby drawing the piston 21 from its normal position in the chamber 24, to the position illustrated in Fig. 2, in which it occupies the lower portion of the chamber 22. As the piston 21, is raised into this position the air in the chamber 22 is forced out through the openings 20. The piston does not rise high enough to close the vent 16. The weight 19 then closes the openings. Any downward or return motion of the piston 21 creates a partial vacuum in the chamber 22; some air entering slowly above the piston either through the vent opening 1'5 or past the piston itself, (or both) thus permitting the piston to drop slowly. Immediately as the piston is moved downwardly to clear the outward flanged portion 23, the air rushes around the sides of said piston, owing to the large diameter of the bore 24, and thus the final movement of the vibrator away from the printing point is accomplished with a speedy motion. It will be seen that this invention affords a mechanism in which the movement to move the ribbon vibrator to the printing point is not perceptibly retarded, (the openings 20 being of sutiicient size and number to permit tree upward movement of the piston) but upon reversal of motion for removing the vibrator from the printing point a retarding The result of this action is that when the vibrator is once thrown over the printing point, as it will be when the nrst type is struck, it will move but a small distance from its position over the printing point, when it is again thrown forward, as the next letter is printed. Thus it will be seen that during continuous writing the vibrator is held over the printing point with but little movement and should the writing be discontinued the vibrator will almost immediately be retracted to permit the written line to become visible.

As many changes could be made in the above structure and many widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, the definite matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings is to be taken as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim- 1. In a typewriting machine in combination, a ribbon vibrator, means for moving said vibrator to the printing point and returning it from the printing point, and a checking device for causing the movement of the vibrator to be gradual from the printing point toward normal position; said checking device comprising mechanism whereby the movement from the printing point to normal position is accelerated.

2. In a typewriting machine in combination, a ribbon vibrator, means for moving said vibrator to the printing point, means for retracting said vibrator from the printing point, and means for retarding said retracting movement, said retarding means comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, and valve mechanism constructed to permit air to be driven from said cylinder by said piston, a vent with an adjustable opening being provided for admitting air to said cylinder.

3. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a ribbon vibrator, means for moving said ribbon vibrator to the printing point during the printing operation and for returning it from the printing point, and a movement retarder eifective upon a rapid continuous operation of the typewriting machine to limit the return stroke of said vibrator to less than its normal extent, and a screw in said retarder to vary the retarding effect.

at. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a ribbon vibrator, of a pneumatic device connected thereto and having means substantially ineffective to obstruct the movement of the vibrator to the printing point, but effective to obstruct the movement of the vibrator away from the printing point, and means for regulating the pneumatic device; the pneumatic device constructed to free the vibrator during the latter part of the return stroke of the latter.

5. In a typewriting machine in combination, a ribbon vibrator, means for moving said vibrator to the printing point, means for retracting said ribbon from the printing point, means for retarding said retracting movement of said vibrator, said retarding means comprising a cylinder having two distinct sized bores therein, a valve to permit air to be expelled from said cylinder, a piston, operating in said cylinder, andconnections from said piston to said ribbon vibrator, substantially as described.

6. In a t-ypewriting machine, the combination with a ribbon vibrator, and means for moving said vibrator to and returning it from the printing point, of a retarding device having means whereby only the initial return movement of said vibrator is retarded, while the last portion of such movement is left substantially unchecked.

7. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a ribbon vibrator, and means for moving said vibrator to and returning it from the printing point, of checking devices having a substantial retarding efiect during the initial portion of the return stroke of the vibrator; said checking devices comprising a pneumatic device connected to the vibrator and having means for checking the flow of air during said initial portion of the return stroke of the vibrator, and arranged to release the air completely in the latter part of the return stroke.

8. The combination with a ribbon carrier and means for vibrating it, of a retarding device attached directly to said carrier and arranged to allow said ribbon to be moved to the printing point without substantially adding to the load of moving it.

9. The combination with a ribbon carrier and means for vibrating it, of a retarding piston attached directly to said carrier and working in a cylinder which has one portion appreciably larger than the piston and another portion fitting it closely.

GEORGE W. RAMSEY. Witnesses M. B. NICHOLS, ERNEST F. RILEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

